Adrian Tchaikovsky on Giant Spiders, Sci-Fi, and the Unexpected Success of Children of Time

Welcome, fellow book lovers and sci-fi enthusiasts! In this video, I have the absolute pleasure of chatting with none other than Adrian Tchaikovsky—an international sensation and the brilliant mind behind Children of Time. This conversation is a treat as we dive into Adrian’s creative journey, his love for speculative fiction, and, of course, how a weird book about giant space spiders launched his entire career! From his science background to his fascination with spider evolution (yes, really!), Adrian shares how Children of Time almost didn’t see the light of day, but then skyrocketed to success, winning awards and readers' hearts alike. 🕷️ We also explore his thoughts on fantasy vs. sci-fi, why humor makes Grimdark more digestible, and what it’s like writing deeply relatable characters in the most epic of universes. Whether you’re an arachnophobe or an avid sci-fi reader, this conversation is packed with insights, laughter, and Tchaikovsky’s trademark brilliance. Come along as we talk about writing, world-building, and why you should always root for the spiders. 😉 Timestamps: 0:00 How Giant Spiders Launched Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Career 5:30 Children of Time and Why It Took a Year to Get Noticed 15:00 Fantasy vs. Sci-Fi: Adrian’s Unique Approach 25:20 Humor in Grimdark and What It Adds to Complex Worlds 35:10 Spiders, Evolution, and Writing Non-Human Characters ___________________________________________________________________________ #grimdark #tolkien #adriantchaikovsky #tchaikovsky #spiders #giantspider #booktube #speculativefiction #fantasy #authortube #scifantasy #scifi #epicfantasybooks ___________________________________________________________________________ If you were inspired by this conversation, I have such conversations monthly in my Patreon community, with exclusive Q&As only available to my patrons. Come and join us if you're interested in talking about story and culture and a deeply rooted life of meaning.   / nicholaskotar   ABOUT ME: I’m Nicholas Kotar. I write epic fantasy and science fiction inspired by Slavic fairy tales. My publishing house, Waystone Press, publishes several authors, all of whom believe in the power of stories to transform readers, giving joy to their lives through an experience of beauty. ✍ Join my tribe of culture creators - https://nicholaskotar.com/patreon/ 📚 Read my books - https://amzn.to/31Kespu 📬 Get my newsletter – https://nicholaskotar.com/newsletter/ 📕Take my writing courses - https://nicholaskotar.com/my-courses/ 📖 Waystone Press - https://waystonepress.com/ FIND ME: 📙 Facebook -   / nicholas.kotar   📷 Instagram -   / nicholaskotar   🌎 My website and blog - https://nicholaskotar.com/ Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links to products. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.